Are you an introverted seeker?

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.– Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

A seeker is someone who chooses the path of self discovery and constant growth in life.

For introverts, the seeker’s path has particular appeal. Though clearly the more difficult road, it glows with the promise of fulfillment and self-actualization. It is the ultimate journey inward. It is the epic voyage into the depths of the mind, body and soul.

This inner quest leads us to the dark and scary places where we hide grief, regret, and guilt. For introverts, these could be memories of people saying “you’re weird” or “ you’re too quiet”. In our mind, their words were automatically translated to “you’re not worthy”.

On this inward path, we encounter locked rooms filled with shame about who we are. The air is thick with the kind of loneliness that is birthed in misunderstanding.

The unexpected twists and turns of the seeker’s path can be jarring. It takes you places most people would not voluntarily go. So, why bother?

Why you seek

Contrary to popular belief, the seeker’s path is not about slaying dragons and conquering kingdoms. It’s not even about adventure, though that’s an appealing side effect.

The seeker’s journey inward is about finding what we believe to be impossible to find. It is the long and winding road toward the thing that was right in front of us all along. The thing we believe in our hearts we cannot have.

We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.
-T.S. Eliot

What are you searching for?

All seekers are connected. The truth is that we are each looking for the same simple things:

Acceptance
Aliveness
Approval

Often, we’re just on the scenic route towards L-O-V-E. We want to take the most complicated, winding road toward something that is everywhere and abundant.

A confession

All my seeking has been a misguided search for love. I searched for it in fame. In romance. In achievement. In exotic places. In money. Everywhere except the most obvious place.